Aidan and Adam are back face to face this week! They catch up on life and their reflections on the fan made expansions, as well as discuss how the game has changed with the expansions. And of course they discuss what has turned out to be quite an interesting opening hand!

Like and subscribe so you don't miss any of our special episodes which we've got planned in the coming weeks! Remember you can always see photos of the opening hands on our social media pages or in the links in these show notes.

Episode 12 opening hand (⁠link⁠):

3 player game, going first

Opening hand:

• Peregrine Falcon. When activated: look at a card from the deck. If <100cm, tuck it behind this bird.
• Surfbird. When activated: all players draw 1 from the deck. You may also trade 1 from your hand with a card in the tray.
• Common Yellowthroat. When activated: Draw 2. If you do, discard 1 from your hand at the end of your turn.
• White-Bellied Sea-Eagle. When activated: Reset the birdfeeder. Gain 1 fish or rat if there is one, and cache it on this bird.
• Crimson Chat. When activated: discard 1 anything to tuck 1 from the deck behind this bird.

Bonus cards:

• Small Clutch Specialist: Birds with an egg limit of 2 or less. 8+ birds = 7 points
• Forest Population Monitor. Different nest types in the forest. 5 types = 8 points.

In the tray:

• House Finch. When activated: tuck a card from your hand behind this bird. If you do, draw 1 card.
• Abbott's Booby. When played: draw 3 bonus cards, then discard 2. You may discard bonus cards you did not draw this turn.
• Purple Heron. When activated: choose any 2 dice. Roll them up to 3 times. Each time, if you roll at least 1 grub or fish, cache 1 here. If not, stop and return all food cached here this turn.

Episode 13 opening hand (link)

2 player game, going 2nd

Opening hand:

• North Island Brown Kiwi. When played: Discard abonus card. If you do, draw 4 bonus cards, keep2, and discard the other 2
• Black-Shouldered Kite. When activated: Reset thebirdfeeder and gain 1 rat, if there is one. You may give it to another player; if you do, lay up to 3 eggs on this bird.
• Sri-Kanka Frogmouth. When activated: Roll any 1die. If you roll a grub, cache 1 grub from the supply on this bird. All players may discard 1 card from their hand to gain 1 grub from the supply.
• Short-Toed Treecreeper. When activated: Discard1 egg from any bird. If you do, play another bird in your forest. Pay its normal food and egg cost.
• Swainson’s hawk. When activated: Look at a cardfrom the deck. If <75cm, tuck it behind this bird. If not, discard it.

Bonus cards:

• Falconer. Birds with a predator power. 2 pointsper bird.
• Wetland Ranger. Consecutive birds in thewetlands with ascending or descending scores. 3 birds = 3 points, 4 birds = 5 points, 5 birds = 8 points.

In the tray:

• South Island Robin. When activated: If theplayer to your right has a grub in their personal supply, cache 1 grub from the general supply on this bird.
• Dovekie. Game end: Choose any 1 player(including yourself). For each bird on their player mat with a “Game End” (yellow) power, draw 1 card from the deck. Play 1 of them for free and discard the rest.
• Red-Footed Falcon. When activated: If anotherplayer has any rats in their personal supply, gain 1 rat from the general supply.

End of round goals:

1. Cards in hand
2. Bowl nest birds with eggs
3. Birds worth less than 3
4. Eggs in the wetlands